News

Will Luongo end up in Chicago?

It’s widely expected Luongo will be returned to the Florida Panthers, where he spent five seasons before being dealt to the Canucks in June 2006. Of late, however, there’s a growing perception the Chicago Blackhawks are in the mix, based largely upon Luongo’s recent complimentary comments about Chicago as a hockey town.

Taking on the remaining 10 years of Luongo’s expensive contract, with its $5.3-million cap hit, would take a big bite out of the Blackhawks payroll.

Combine that with the long-term deals for Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook and they’d be tying up nearly $41 million in only seven players by adding Luongo.

As Luongo noted when he made his glowing remarks about Chicago, it would depend not just on the willingness for both teams to make a deal, but also on his willingness to waive his no-trade clause and accept that move.

DID DOAN GET TOO EXPENSIVE?

If a recent report out of Phoenix regarding Coyotes captain Shane Doan is any indication, signing him will prove a very expensive undertaking.

At $30 million that would be a cap hit of $7.5 million, a ridiculous amount for a 35-year-old right winger on the downside of his career and whose best season was four years ago in 2007-08, even one as respected as Doan.

Either Gambadoro’s source got its information wrong or there’s an Eastern Conference GM who’s taken leave of his senses.

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

Orange County Register sportswriter Mark Whicker suggested during a radio interview that the Boston Bruins would be able to pry right winger Bobby Ryan from the Anaheim Ducks if they offered center David Krejci and a first round pick.

CSNNE.com’s Joe Haggerty pointed out that one reporter’s opinion doesn’t mean Ryan will be coming to Boston, but speculated the 25-year-old is of interest to Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli.

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ expensive asking price for right winger Rick Nash was expected to make Ryan a more affordable option for teams seeking a first-line scoring winger, but there’s been nothing out of Anaheim in recent weeks to suggest Ryan is available.

Indeed, things have gone quiet on that front since GM Bob Murray said he’d speak with Ryan after the entry draft regarding the right winger’s public unhappiness over the trade speculation that dogged him last season.

As for Chiarelli, while he recently admitted he’d be active in the “secondary trade market” rather than free agency, it’s believed he’s more interested in landing a veteran third-line forward than a first-line scoring winger.

Brennan acknowledged he was engaging in some “wishful thinking,” because what makes them enticing to the Sun pundit as trade targets also makes them valuable to their respective teams.

Rumor Roundup appears Monday-Friday only on thehockeynews.com. Lyle Richardson has been an NHL commentator since 1998 on his website, spectorshockey.net, and is a contributing writer for Eishockey News, Kukla's Korner and The Guardian, Charlottetown.